Are Fat-Blocking Products for Weight Loss Really Good For Your Health?
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This article is from the Health Articles series.
Are Fat-Blocking Products for Weight Loss Really Good For Your Health?
What do you think of the fat-blocking products for weight loss?
If you are talking about the over-the-counter weight loss products containing a substance called chitosan, research does not support their use. It's true that chitosan does absorb some dietary fat, but experts say that normal doses can't absorb enough fat to cause weight loss, especially if one continues on a high-fat, high-calorie diet. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study conducted in the United Kingdom that used good quality "double blind" research techniques. After four weeks on their normal diet, weight and blood cholesterol levels were no different in people who took chitosan twice-daily than in those who took placebos (inactive "sugar pills").
A Japanese study in rats cautions that, depending on the amount used, chitosan might decrease absorption of calcium and vitamin E (a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed along with fat). Blood levels of vitamin E were not affected in the U.K. study, but this is certainly a concern that bears further investigation.
Some chitosan products may also contain herbs or other diuretic substances that cause significant water loss, which people might mistakenly assume is fat loss.
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